Can't get a signal on my SX56-- Help

[doc]

:cry: I bought a new SX56 from an ebayer and it appears to be unlocked etc. I put my current active Cingular SIM card in it but I get a no signal message after it searches for signal. The device came with xda-developers.com ROM version v1.2 on it. I have tried to switch to all of the different Bandswitch settings with no success. HELP PLEASE!!! ANYONE??!!
:cry:

[Biso007]

What's your RSU version ... you can get it from device info or displayed while booting.

PS: it's very risky to use the GSM menu this way. Check with your operator and select the right band once and for ever.

[doc]

My device info is:
ROM ver: 3.17.03 ENG
ROM date? 05/15/03
Radio Version 6.12
Protocol version 324e4

[Biso007]

Seems you have a bit old ROM and RSU ... you better check with one in your area but I see here some people have either TMO 4.01.00 + 6.24 or AT&T 30.09 + A30 and they are on Cingular. The right bandwidth setting is the key factor.

[doc]

Thanks for your reply. I don't know how to do the updates you refer to. I hate to return the thing because I got a good deal on it, but if I can't use it on Cingular I don't know what else to do with it? Any help would be appreciated.

Doc

[Biso007]

You can get the complete TMO update (ROM + RSU) here ftp://tmobile:rom@130.39.48.102:21

Good luck ... :)

[doc]

Hi,
I tried to link and get an error trying to connect. :cry: Could you please send it again :?: ? Do you think updating to windows 2003 would be if help? I can download it for free from the Siemens website. I just don't want it to lock the phone or cause any damage!

Doc

[Biso007]

The official update from AT&T should be OK ... however, you device is better to be PW10B type (check the rear sticker) these upgrades were made for USA use.

[Mavrik]

Also, if you are in the Cingular 850Mhz only zone, you wont be able to catch signal, cause none of the RSU's will support this band.... (quite unfortunate for all of us in North America)

[doc]

Thanks for your reply. I'm not sure of the Band mHz on Cingular. I will try to find out from them if I can. Guess I'm the die hard type but I still want it to work or I'll have to abandon it. Any other help will be appreciated :)

Doc

[decepticon]

Also, if you are in the Cingular 850Mhz only zone, you wont be able to catch signal, cause none of the RSU's will support this band.... (quite unfortunate for all of us in North America)

Quite unfortunate indeed. What are the chances that AT&T will release one in the future to make it compatible with Cingular 850 networks after the merger?

[doc]

I still think there is a way to tune a digital device to another frequency. AT&T has a deal on these for $99.99 and it was just bought out by Cingular. It would be logical that Siemens has something in the mix an upgraded model, different freq. etc.

Doc

[decepticon]

I still think there is a way to tune a digital device to another frequency. AT&T has a deal on these for $99.99 and it was just bought out by Cingular. It would be logical that Siemens has something in the mix an upgraded model, different freq. etc.

Doc

That's what I am thinking. I am a Cingular employee so I bought one to put on my ERP but I can only use AT&T and T-Mobile signals at the moment.

I am 100% certain that it is possible to get the device to work on 850, more than likely just restricted in the radio stack.

[doc]

You are lucky!! I have six phones through Cingular and they have been trying to get me a Treo 600 since December!! I'd prefer a windows based device hence my reason for buying a SX56. I had no way to know it would not work on Cingular. All the ads I see for unlocked phones claim they will work on any GSM carrier with an active SIM card.

Obviously it doesn't work hence my involvement in all of this!!

Doc

[cruisin-thru]

It is possible that somebody has got cingular sim to work on 850, if they were in close proximity to a mast maybe the 50mhz wouldnt mean too much and a signal could be acquired, but you would still be using a phone detuned by 50mhz which isnt an ideal situation.

[doc]

I'm not an expert but 50mhz is a pretty big difference in frequency. The splash over from 800 to 850 or 900 to 850 is pretty big. It probably would not work very well even a few feet away from the site where it functions. Still there has to be a way to to tune one of these to 850mhz.

Doc

[erickbryce]

re: the 850 tunning question, As far as I understand this is a hardware aspect of the radio, thus you can not tune to this freq. This is also the reason AT&T did not brand the XDA II, because HTC would not impliment 850 into the device. You are more likely to see a HP6300 or MPx in this department as they are both quadband phones (meaning 850 implimentation) the real question is, will either of these phones be EDGE enabled? My quess is the HP will but the MPx will not. Reasoning: Rumor was HP was using TI Ref design WANDA. TI make EDGE hardware for phones. TI processor may be in the HP phone. The bottom line is you will need new hardware for 850 or EDGE. Sorry for the bad news, I too would love to be proved wrong. Guess I'll have to pony the dough for one of these two new devices. I really loved my HTC device but if they aren't going to keep up...I have no choice. I still feel the XDA will be a better over all device, but without 850 & EDGE implimentation it's going to fall way short. It's nice to own a Corvet, but if a Honda goes faster...why buy the brand name. :cry:

[erickbryce]

re: the 850 tunning question, As far as I understand this is a hardware aspect of the radio, thus you can not tune to this freq. This is also the reason AT&T did not brand the XDA II, because HTC would not impliment 850 into the device. You are more likely to see a HP6300 or MPx in this department as they are both quadband phones (meaning 850 implimentation) the real question is, will either of these phones be EDGE enabled? My quess is the HP will but the MPx will not. Reasoning: Rumor was HP was using TI Ref design WANDA. TI make EDGE hardware for phones. TI processor may be in the HP phone. The bottom line is you will need new hardware for 850 or EDGE. Sorry for the bad news, I too would love to be proved wrong. Guess I'll have to pony the dough for one of these two new devices. I really loved my HTC device but if they aren't going to keep up...I have no choice. I still feel the XDA will be a better over all device, but without 850 & EDGE implimentation it's going to fall way short. It's nice to own a Corvet, but if a Honda goes faster...why buy the brand name. :cry:

[doc]

I'm getting depressed. :cry: I bought this thing thinking it would just be a matter of sticking the SIM card in and off we go!! I've emailed 15 times, joined three different PDA/Phone forums and learned more about these damn things than I ever intended. Now I have a slow PDA, a car charger, extra case, extra sync/usb cable and it won't work on Cingular which I can't change!!!
HELP!!! :cry:

[bigfire]

Excuse me if I'm way off base, but I just moved over to Cingular from T-Mobile using an unlocked Wallaby, and it works fine. The only thing I haven't been able to do is to make a GPRS connection.

[decepticon]

Excuse me if I'm way off base, but I just moved over to Cingular from T-Mobile using an unlocked Wallaby, and it works fine. The only thing I haven't been able to do is to make a GPRS connection.

What market are you in?

[bigfire]

I'm in Seattle, WA.

[bigfire]

And for further followup questions:
1) I tried it with the 2002 ROM at Yorch's site.
2) Currently trying it with the 2003 ROM at Yorch's site.
3) I got GPRS working with it tonight.

The only odd thing that I've noticed is that I could have sworn that my signal strength was dramatically higher when I tried it with the 2002 ROM than with the 2003.

[decepticon]

Which 2002 rom? When I get in tomorrow I will check to see what freq Cingular runs off of in Seattle.

[bigfire]

The one from Yorch.net, the Special Edition one.

[doc]

I hope your're right!! I have seen so many postings that say it won't work without being on the 850mhz. band.

hope you are right!!!!

doc

[Qman]

What is needed is a Tri-band RS there are a few out there, we just need
to find them!

The below might be two of them:
RSU: QTEK 3.25
RSU: O2 4.21 (Asian version from HKG)



HTH

[bigfire]

I think I mentioned this before, but the reception on the phone is much weaker than it was just a week or two ago. Basically, I unlocked the phone with the 2002 special edition ROM, borrowed a friend's Cingular sim, and went around Seattle. Signal strength was pretty good, sometimes very good.

Yesterday I converted over my lines (3 of them) to Cingular, and popped the sim in, and it gets mostly 1-2 bars wherever I go. The funny thing is that I don't seem to be getting any interference, and haven't had any problems making a call yet, even when there's only 1 or even no bars.

[decepticon]

From what our system tells me, all Cingular markets are now 1900...I thought that was Europe?

[ReBell48]

If all cingular systems were 1900, shouldn't we be able to pick them up. If so, how? I can't seem to get a signal at all and would love to hear some good news on this topic.

[ms-preacher]

I have an SX 56 in Memphis, TN and also am a Cingular customer. Got phone unlocked, but can only pick up ATT & T Mobile. Cingular must still be 850mhz, here. Fortunately,with the new GSM Nation plan you can roam to your hearts content so just use the ATT network.

[rmatalon]

Has anyone gotten it to work on cingular? I am having the same problems (no signal on cingular) as most of you. I am in South Florida. Please help me....thanks

[kirkwood]

Hey there, just adding in my two cents.

I too bought the sx56 Wallaby from an Ebay auction and even though they said it was guaranteed, I am having the same "no signal" at all. Sometimes it says T-Mobile is available, other times it is only AT&T but neither will authenticate me, etc.

Here are the steps I have confirmed so far:

1. As of March 2004 Cingular bought AT&T and now is consolidating nationwide to use the 850/1900 band exclusively. So about that time there was a huge change from the 900Mhz to the 850Mhz with Cingular. Ebay auctions now have dropped at least $50.00 for the device since the change, and they will probably go down now steadily until we can get them for $99. The bigboy on the block is the quad band Treo 600. The only hope here is that these jerks selling the stuff get on the ball and start using the correct unlocked ROM for the device before they sell it to you. Then the price may stabilize or go back up if there is good success.

http://cellphoneforums.net/archive/topic/120651.html

The 900Mhz band is lost, and there are lawsuits and disgust everywhere.

2. http://www.cingular.com/download/GPRS_coverage_410.pdf will give you an idea if you should pursue getting your SX56 to work where you live. South Florida should have good coverage, although the 850Mhz band is preferred by Cingular because they can install less towers and still achieve better coverage and penetration into buildings. In other words, they are not going to go and install 4-8 towers for 1900Mhz when they only need to install ONE at 850Mhz and get the same or better coverage. It is a problem of physics and radio waves, just like shortwave is better than AM radio, which is better than FM radio when talking about how strong and far the signal goes with the same wattage. In other words, your 1900Mhz coverage will not DECREASE with time, but NOR will it INCREASE. What exists now is deemed "sufficient".

3. If you are in the "red zone" on the map, then you should get 1900Mhz coverage, and you can save your 900Mhz coverage for when you travel to the rest of the world such as Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia. That is the "up side" of owning a SX56 as you'll have great reception there, and so it is like owning "half" of a quad band phone, one band in each stack. As far as I know the chip inside the SX56 is what prevents it from tuning to the 850Mhz band, so if an ultra techhie could figure out what this chip was and source it out to a quad band chip, we could all send in our PDAs to have surgery, although there would have to be a strong group of people writing the radio portion of the ROM to use all four bands in the phone software, etc. NOT LIKELY.

4. You have to make sure that the Ebay company that you bought from has not just used an old ROM image that "yes" it is unlocked, but there have been several versions released since. When I signed up to this forum I found my ROM version but not the RADIO version, the lowest here was 6.14 and I have v 6.12. This is going to be the first problem to solve. Also, even though on the back of the device the sticker says "PW10B1" as the model number, and it does not look like it was removed, as well the case is branded with the AT&T wireless logo, the SOFTWARE is telling me that the IMEI is correct for the back of the device, but the Model number is a "PW10A1" which I am sure is not a glitch. Most likely this ROM is a EUROPEAN image that needs to be replaced, even though it says ENG, it may be from Great Britan, etc. As well the Radio Stack is TOTALLY outdated, as there are versions now all the way up to 30.02!!!! So version 6.12 is BAD! and PW10A1 is BAD! You and I both are going to have to be very careful to find an acceptable ROM with a good radio stack, get your ActiveSYNC working FIRST and save a copy of your ROM somewhere, PERHAPS buy a Secure Digital or MMC card for the SX56 specifically (at least 16MB to hold just the ROM image, 32 is better, I have a 256mb to use on mine) and VERY CAREFULLY, with ALOT OF TIME, flash the new ROM image with the radio stack and try it all over again, checking your various settings on the device. The SD/MMC card is REQUIRED if you are moving up to PPC2003 or you can try your luck with the cradle if you are sticking with PPC2002.

5. NOW ON TO CINGULAR: The tech support there is not very helpful at all and especially about these devices. Call in and go to customer support, tell them that you changed phones, that your phone is NOT a gate phone, as it does not have a ESN number AT ALL. You will have to verify that they have your CORRECT IMEI number (located on the back as well as needs to be matched in the software or another 'oops') and the correct number of your SIM card (in my case I lost my whole phone so had to purchase another SIM to begin with to install in the PDA for $25)

6. So, to summarize, you have a long way to go as I do to see what is going to work here in South Florida, but keep your chin up and get on the ball now because each day that goes by, I have been treating my cingular account as a beeper/voice mail only and just calling in and checking it every few hours since I don't have a normal phone.

I will return and post the ROM that I get to work with Radio Stack when I locate the one that has people getting the Cingular signals on it, etc. My first lead is this one, the SPECIAL EDITION:

http://www.mtekk.com.au/browse/page560.html

I will let you know how it goes!

[kirkwood]

Well, several more hours have passed with me surfing the internet at broadband cable speeds and here is the update:

1. It seems there are three parts to any flash, the OS, the ROM, and the Radio Stack.

2. I still haven't found much help with radio version 6.12 except that people in other places such as Seattle are having a good time with great reception. It seems the standard stack that ATT and T-mobile have released for PPC2002 might be 6.18 or so, but then it jumps to 30.03 when using PPC2003.

3. xda-developers.com still swear that their 1.2 ROM version is the best, but I am not able to distinguish if that means the initial display will show the bootscreen they are so happy about but then when looking at settings you are still limited to 3.17.03 ENG (which I have confirmed is an European ROM for the O2 network that will NOT work in the US except with T-mobile and believes the phone is a "B" version) and the 6.12 radio version.

4. So at this point I am faced with the dilemma of trying to figure out if the phone itself is defective, as one person who had our same problem discovered just by changing the phone. THIS SEEMS THE MOST REASONABLE TO ME. The "Bad" phones that get turned back in by the legitimate subscribers of the ATT and T-mobile service are the ones that are probably "used one week" on Ebay and returned, because they sucked in the first place and had bad signals even with perfect software. So they flash it with a "new" ROM (a European T-mobile at that!) and sell it to some unsuspecting customer hoping for the best that it at least gets one bar of signal as a slot machine gamble. Just like you get a "bum" VCR you can get a bum phone or lemon. Since FCC and Ebay really don't give a shit we might be out of luck if this is the truth. In short, I have learned some hard lessons buying sight unseen on Ebay for the sake of saving a few bucks. You don't get to stare your vendor in the eye and know where his store is. Emails are easily avoided.

5. My temporary conclusion is this: You gotta find out if your device is defective or not. The easiest way is to do these steps:

A. Press your power button and stick your stylus in the lower left wide hole to do a soft reset and check for your boot ROM version. If you have version 5.15 (which comes with the XDA 1.2OS off of Ebay) then you have to download a file here:

http://wiki.xda-developers.com/wiki/XDAtools

B. Get that program onto your SX56 through Autosync or using the explorer once written to the SD card (I am exploring both options, since I really don't want to go through the hassle of figuring out yet another brick wall between Autosync versions 3.7 and 4.2 or whatever)

C. Then you can also format the card (maybe first?)

D. get XDA tools on your SX56 from a reader of some sort (mine was included on my HP laptop) (this is basically a repeat of B above)

E. back up your present ROM to the SD card,

F. cut and paste that ROM image to a safe place on your hard drive,

G. copy over the NEW T-Mobile ROM and Radio Stack downloaded from the links on this page: (my original page above)

http://www.mpx200.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=649&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

H. Once you have them extracted the correct way with a .RAR extractor and don't get the "password required" shit that I am getting now with a freebie extractor for some reason, copy them to the SD card as specified in whatever documentation you can find on the internet:

WARNING: HERE IS WHERE NO ONE WANTS TO HELP OUT SO I CANNOT EITHER. ASSEMBLE THE FILES ON THE SD CARD AND FLASH AT YOUR OWN RISK! NO LIABILITY IS SUGGESTED OR ASSUMED!

I. Make sure the files match byte wise with what you copied over, something like a human CRC check that the files are complete. Extract the SD card and put it in a FULLY CHARGED AND POWERED SX56, press the power button and hold, and stick the stylus in the left bottom opening for a soft reset.

J. Once at the 5.15 boot rom screen again, press the calendar button to go to the menu. At this point (which I haven't arrived at yet) you should see an option to load the image from SD card. Choose this option and as they say:

K. GO GET A DRINK! PREFERRABLY SOMETHING ALCOHOLIC.

L. The process takes anywhere from 5 minutes to 1 hour depending on the quality of the SD card you are using and other intangible factors. In other words, don't do it late at night when you are tired, as you might as well go to bed and check it in the morning! After 1 Hour you can start to worry.

M. After that, when the complete message is displayed or what have you, take out the SD card and perform a new soft reset with the stylus.........

N. If you have done everything correctly you will see the T-Mobile PPC2003 logo, and you will be able to confirm that you have the 30.03 or 30.02 radio stack (depending on which one you chose).

O. If after you set the SX56 up as best as you can in the Settings and Phone settings and you still do not get a signal, take the device immediately to a Cingular Wireless store that has TECHNICIANS there so that they can diagnose what is going wrong. Again, this will probably take at least an hour or more out of your day just sitting there in the store, so be warned!

P. If they determine that they cannot get a signal either or know how to correct the settings, etc. then ALAS! you have purchased a piece of junk from Ebay. CONGRATS!

Q. Either get on the horn and contact the seller to make good on what they were advertising in the first place explaining your whole experience, or simply offload it back into the public with another auction, losing the money, but please for the good of the community make your auction with full disclosure, and advertise it as T-Mobile only-with the latest PPC2003 ROM and EVERYTHING!!!, & that your Cingular SIM card did not work in South Florida. At least they will know what they are getting.

[kirkwood]

Well, bad bad news.... :oops: :x :oops: :x :oops: :x :oops: :x

I finally have completed my full test of everything above and it is not going to work.

I downloaded and installed successfully the new software from the Siemens website for AT&T.

I brought the SX56 to an AT&T store, waited my 30 minutes in line for them to help me, and when they finally did, the phone works perfectly using an AT&T SIM card. Full strength signal no problem (they had a cell tower on top of the building)

Then I drove all the way back to Cingular and told them the whole story a second time, and the customer rep there told me it just ain't gonna work.

The reason he gave is that it is the SIM card that is hardwired to search for the 850/1900 band, what cingular is using. AT&T's sims are still programmed to use the 900/1900 band. So the 1900 signal has to be paired with the proper lower frequency for GSM to work.

It really seems like a bunch of baloney to me, but he said it was the SIM card, and there is no way around that. Eventually down the road when AT&T changes their network to the 850Mhz as well due to their merger with Cingular, they will slowly replace the 900Mhz to 850Mhz, and the phone will be obsolete for AT&T as well.

So my advice is to resell the device on Ebay and advertise it as AT&T and T-Mobile only. When we bought it, it was a lie and these phones are only working in very specific markets where Cingular has some kind of agreement. Apparently in Miami it is not going to work.

If I find out more I shall return.....

[md2020]

http://supportattws.primus.com/aws/knowledgebase/ATTW14947.html

How to recover the SX56 from a failed upgrade to Pocket PC 2003. (ATTW14947)

SUBJECT:
How to recover the SX56 from a failed upgrade to Pocket PC 2003.

FACT:
Microsoft Pocket PC 2003 Phone Edition
Siemens SX56 Pocket PC 2003

SYMPTOM:
The Siemens SX56 will not function after a failed attempt to load PPC 2003.
Unable to upgrade the Siemens SX56.

FIX:

Pre-requisites:

* A blank 32 megabyte SD (secure data) card.
* A SD card reader.

1. Hard reset the SX56 and press the Power button.
2. A color screen stating "Wallaby Boot" will appear with the version number. A check of the GSM service will be run.
3. Download the XDA (the other name for our phone) OS Image Tool, at http://wiki.xda-developers.com/wiki/XDAtools.
4. Plug in the SD Card Reader with the SD Card inserted in it to the PC.
5. Once download, open "XDA Tools XDA OS Image Tool" from the Start Menu.
* Do NOT use the fix broken boot loader option from the sub folder.
6. In the Source pull down (the top section) click the "..." next to the pull down and go to C:\Program Files\SX56 upgrade utility\english\NK.nbf
* This is the location of the Windows Mobile 2003 Operating System Image that was installed when it was downloaded and ran the initial upgrade process.
7. In the "Destination" pull down, select the SD Card Reader.
8. Click the Copy button.
9. Once the procedure is complete in Image Tool Program, disconnect the SD Card Reader and remove the SD Card.
10. The SX56 should still be at the Boot loader page, if not hard reset the SX56 again and press the Power button to bring it back to the boot loader screen.
11. Hold the Power button and use the stylus to press in the soft reset button (both at the same time).
12. This will bring up a 'Copy Image from SD to ROM' selection.
13. Select "To copy from SD to ROM", (this will take a few minutes).
14. Once the upload completes, soft reset the device.
15. Verify the version number of the device.
* Either from the device menu:
o ROM Version A.30.09 ENG
o ROM Date 01/01/04
o Radio Version A.33.02
o Protocol Version 1.3.3
* Or from the inital boot up screen:
o G1.3.3
o A.30.09
o RA.33.02
16. If problems persist, please contact Siemens at 888-777-0211


Hope this helps


MD2020